San Francisco Giants win series over Braves thanks to July 4th fireworks

Matt Chapman #26 of the San Francisco Giants circles the bases after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on July 4, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Casey Sykes/Getty Images)

The San Francisco Giants enjoyed their own fireworks show on July 4.

Heliot Ramos and Matt Chapman provided the boom, and they even provided some sparkle behind Logan Webb, en route to a wild 4-2 Independence Day celebration on a steamy Atlanta night.

With seven innings of two-run ball from Webb and a pair of fourth-inning home runs from Ramos and Chapman, the Giants won their third straight series, taking two of three games against the National League wild-card-leading Braves.

Held hitless in his first at-bat for the second straight night, this time by 17-year veteran Charlie Morton, LaMonte Wade Jr. ignited the Giants’ offense with a single to lead off the third inning and was quickly driven home by Ramos, who jumped on the second pitch of his at-bat and launched it 424 feet to center field.

The two-run hit tied the game at 2 after the Braves took an early lead off Webb and also gave Ramos the lead with his 12th hit since being recalled in the second week of May. Two batters later, Chapman tied the game and broke the tie on the scoreboard with a solo hit, his 12th of the year, to give the Giants their first lead, 3-2.

Chapman doubled another run in his next at-bat, swinging a control drive down the right-field line to score Patrick Bailey, and that was all the Giants needed behind Webb, who held the Braves scoreless after seeing them score two runs in his first at-bat.

After the Giants took the lead in the top of the fourth, Atlanta threatened to regain the lead in the bottom of the inning when Webb walked leadoff hitter Matt Olson and the next batter, Austin Riley, doubled into the left-field corner.

Starting from first base, Olson was given the go-ahead by third base coach Matt Tuiasosopo and was greeted at home plate by a flawlessly executed throw from Michael Conforto to Chapman and finally to Bailey, whose throw was so perfectly timed and placed that it met Olson’s arm on its way to home plate.

Chapman’s throw to Bailey was clocked at 94 mph, the hardest of the season for the third baseman, and it was the sixth runner the Giants have thrown out at the plate since June 17, two more than any other major league team.

Despite failing to hit while being hit twice by home plate umpire Sean Barber, Bailey again added value in other areas, getting into position to apply the tag while keeping Olson’s arm off the plate and firing a dime to shortstop Nick Ahmed in the second inning that tagged the speedy Forrest Wall who was trying to steal second base.

With seven innings of work, allowing two runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and one walk, Webb reclaimed the major league lead in innings pitched, raising his total in 19 starts to 119⅓. It was the 11th time he had completed seven innings, also the most in the major leagues, while lowering his ERA to 3.09, ninth in the National League.

Manager Bob Melvin told reporters in Atlanta that Webb will start just one more time before the All-Star break, scheduled for Wednesday, meaning nothing should get in the way of the 27-year-old right-hander and his first career selection. He started the Giants’ final game before the break last season and was replaced by teammates Alex Cobb and Camilo Doval.

The rosters for this year’s game in Arlington, Texas, will be released Sunday on ESPN.